TUESDAY'S three six-figure foals were topped on Wednesday when a colt foal by Authorized sold for €170,000 - the highest price paid for a foal at this sale since 2007.
The grey foal was bred by Louis Vambeck from Co Westmeath and sold on his behalf by John Dwan's Ballyreddin Stud. The buyer was Ger O'Neill's Capital Stud in Co Kilkenny, home to Authorized. O'Neill is an accomplished show jumper and was represented at the sale by Darragh McCarthy, alongside show jumper Michael Duffy.
The foal is a half-brother to Six Figures, a Grade 2 winner over hurdles in France, by Harzand.
Capital Stud hope to make a stallion of their latest purchase, much like Coolmore are trying to do with some of their recent Walk In The Park foal purchases.
McCarthy explained: “We have been trying to buy many horses in France for the past two years, proper jumps horses as stallion prospects, and it is next to near impossible. So, we have figured out that we have to go and buy them as younger horses; foals, yearlings and two-year-olds. We will send them to France and hope to make a stallion out of them.
“We have seen that Santiago foals are in high demand, and he has the Authorized factor, Bande is going very well in France, and Leon Du Berlais was very well received this year, so we thought this was our best chance to get a stallion prospect. We have put a group together to do this. We didn't think we would have to give that type of money, or anything near it, and I'm shocked we had to give that. We saw him as a foal before this with John Dwan, he comes from a very good breeder in Louis Vambeck, the mare is a young mare, and has done it with lots of different sires.
“It is the 'Berlais' pedigree, it’s a top-class French pedigree. When we were coming here, we thought we cannot leave without him. The physical is hard to fault, he's a beautiful walker, and as a physical I thought he was the best stallion prospect I saw all week. He is the whole package. The underbidders have already purchased Authorized foals this week, so they got a good head start. All the right people were on him. He is a serious individual.
“Authorized is very well - he looks after himself. He is in very good nick for his age [21], and next year again we will keep his book tight. These are his first foals from covering real National Hunt mares. He was in Turkey covering poor mares, and still getting good horses out of them. In France he never got a true National Hunt horse, so I think he can be a massive influence on the breed.”
Vambeck said: "We thought he'd make a six-figures, but he just started showing himself better and better, and there were two people who wanted him. I have had a fabulous sale and it is all down to John Dwan. We bought the mare as a foal and bought her privately. Sean Gorman of Cleaboy rang me about her and told me to take a look. I fell in love with her there and then. She is a star, producing Six Figures, is in foal to Authorized, and will be going back to him again next spring."
Dwan added: "He was an exceptional foal, has everything you want to see, and by a really, really good stallion. It is an exceptional family and he has a top-class brother Six Figures in France. A big shout out to Capital Stud. They are relatively new to the game, but they are making a big effort, getting the right stallion, and to see them support breeders is phenomenal."
As the three-day foal session neared its conclusion at tea-time on Wednesday, the total turnover was already over €1 million ahead of last year, despite 150 fewer foals being offered. The median price (€15,000) was up 36% on last year and the average price up 23%, suggesting that the market had turned a corner following a contraction in recent years.
The leading buyers were Richard and J.J. Frisby. Their seven purchases amounted to a spend of €428,500.
Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House Stud sold 24 lots for €648,000, with Yellowford & Drumlin (Frank Motherway and Conor Cashman) next with €619,000 for 22 horses.
Ballyreddin sold 11 horses, averaging €48,482.